


All In

by sunkwans



Category: EXO (Band), GOT7, Monsta X (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: (s), Alternate Universe - Historical, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Elemental Magic, Emotional, Everything Hurts, Jackson-centric, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Violence, and it's totally chill we love the gays in this story, around the 1900s but with changes, eventually, everyone is gay btW, monsta x are bad guys sorRY
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-04-17 12:29:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14189004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunkwans/pseuds/sunkwans
Summary: Jackson feels the way his fingers tingle with power. The way the feeling wraps around him and makes him shake like a leaf caught in the wind.I hope I go out with a bang, Jackson things as he watches the Prince's eyes widen with horror.He would die, but he would do it without fear.*In a world where magic reigns, Jackson Wang find himself over his head and drowning in the changes his life takes. He learns much about himself, but he also learns that sometimes he must make sacrifices to be truly happy.





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> welcome!!! (again)  
> i messed up my posting the first time & put the first chapter twice instead of the prologue, so here we are. (again, agaiN)
> 
> uM the only explaining i really need to do is this:
> 
> jackson (and the rest of g7) live in a country called kankoku, or korea in japanese hahA. there a four providences of kankoku, and they are ruled by different princes, but also by different powers.  
> jackson's providence, malgeun, is ruled by prince jinyoung, who carries the power of the sun (or light power) within him.  
> there is providence gonggi, which is ruled by prince jaebeom, and jb carries the power of air (which means he can manipulate wind and create tornados, that sort of thing)  
> next providence is bulgil, and their ruler is prince mark, who carries the power of fire, which speaks for itself i hope  
> and final providence of kankoku is bioneun and that providence is ruled by prince yugyeom, who has the power of water, which also speaks for itself
> 
> the only people that can rule are those with powers, and the only ones with powers are royals because power is passed by blood (or is iT)
> 
>  
> 
> okay sorry for that uber long shit up there, but it is good to know!!! this is going to be a long, emotional ride (i cry writing it at least a few times) 
> 
> without further ado, happy reading <3

Once, when Jackson was a child, was able to play as one and hadn’t yet been forced to grow up, he’d found himself deep in the forest. Back at his old home, a small, dilapidated place worn away from years of sitting without proper care, there was a bustling forest. It was only a hundred yards from his back door, give or take, and although it was the reason for the bugs that constantly attacked Jackson as he slept, he couldn’t find it in himself to be anything other than purely curious about the thick trees that shifted with the wind or crackled beneath the relentless rain that sometimes fell. Even during the cold, when snow occupied every corner of the ground, everything muted by an endless blanket of white, the trees stood tall, bare without their leaves but proud against the ice. And during the summertime, their leaves would be electric green, almost fake looking, shining beneath the sun. He would see an explosion of colors if he squinted, and that pulled him in unlike any magnet could. 

He’d been so drawn by the forest that one afternoon, when the sun was beating down on him and his mother without mercy, threatening to turn them into puddles right where they stood, he found himself turning towards the trees, pulled by an invisible string. His mother had been much too focused on running their clothes along the bumpy washboard, the soapy lake water clinging to her forearms with all the might in the world, to focus on her flighty son. So when he shuffled along the thick, nearly knee high grass, her attention was attached to the sun glinting off the clear lake water.

His exposed calves itched under the blades of green grass that brushed against his tan skin, but he pushed through the thickness, barely even noticing the resistance he was met with as he lifted his foot with each step. Jackson was under a spell cast by the forest, and he wouldn’t be released until he found himself under the thick branches dripping in thick green paint.

The sun pounded against his back, making his tank top stick to the skin stretched across his spine, but he couldn’t be bothered to pull the fabric from his back. He was used to sweat, especially during their most recent summers where droughts were ever constant in Malgeun. Every once in awhile the king of Bioneun would have to bring his young son to Malgeun and work his magic and create gray clouds that spilled out heavenly rain. Today, though, Jackson was grateful for the the merciless sun.

The first thing Jackson noticed about the forest was the heavy earthy smell that filled his nose immediately. It was sharp and thick, swirling around him like a tornado and nearly making him dizzy. It wasn’t bad- quite the opposite, actually, as Jackson found himself inhaling deeply over and over again, as if he wanted to implant the scent into his memory forever. He was sure to watch his step, not wanting to trip over exposed roots or twisting vines that lined the floor. Thick tree trunks covered in green brushed against Jackson’s exposed shoulders, tickling him slightly as he pushed through the plant-crowded path he was currently walking. The green around him was almost suffocating, and Jackson gasped when his eyes caught sight of a bright, neon yellow in the corner of his vision. He turned quickly, his small eyes widened to an almost comical size. The flower was tall, stem nearly Jackson’s height- which wasn’t terribly hard to do, seeing as he was fairly short for his age and only eleven- and despite that, it wasn’t at all intimidating. The color of it drew Jackson in, lulled him into a naive sense of safety. He’d never seen something so bright, so pretty. The flower itself was as large as his head, petals opened wide to show off a dark center.

Jackson wondered if this was the sunflower his mother and friends were always talking about; the young prince Jinyoung had been the reason the flowers grew, and it was a sure sign that he carried the power of the sun in his chest just as his father had. Jackson had never seen one up close- had only heard stories about the flowers. He knew, though, that he was meant to never eat any part of the flower; it was dangerous to humans without powers, which Jackson had never understood. The magic had to find its way into people somehow, right? And the flower wouldn’t do much except for maybe make him vomit, which wasn’t that bad of a consequence.

So, after a few moments of careful thinking and even more careful decision making, Jackson stepped forward, hands reaching out for the flower. The petals were soft and leathery beneath his fingers, and he winced slightly as he ripped one from its place nestled into the flower. He pulled it to his nose first, sniffing and finding that the flower had a sweet, earthy scent- nothing like the small flowers his mom grew in the makeshift garden in front of their home- much like the forest itself. Jackson brought the petal to his lips slowly, giving himself time to change his mind. He wouldn’t, he knew, but the option would always be there if he ever decided it.

Just as his pink lips closed around the vibrant petal, he heard his mother’s shout of his name, loud and worried. He pushed the rest of the petal into his mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly so she wouldn’t know a single thing. If she found out that he’d ingested a piece of the sunflower she would be worried out of her mind- something Jackson would never be able to stand.

Jackson ran from the sunflower, giving it one last long glance, feeling a shifting in his bones as his eyes caught onto the long stem and heavy flower head, before he turned and rushed to the entrance of the woods, where he could see his mother beginning to push her way through.

“Mom, I’m here,” Jackson called out, his voice oddly quiet. He coughed, expecting something in his throat. “Mom!”

His mother turned her gaze onto Jackson, smiling softly when she saw him. He could tell she was probably still worried, but he also knew she would forever be worried over her young son with a mind of his own. “Come on, love. Your father will be arriving home soon, wouldn’t you like to have dinner made for him when he gets here?”

Jackson wanted to nod- he really truly did- but his head didn’t belong to him. Everything was moving slow, as if he was trudging through thick honey, trying to crawl his way out. His limbs felt heavy, as if someone had tied a weight to them. Before he finally closed his eyes, he saw the fearful look his mother carried in her warm brown eyes, and forever would Jackson remember that look.

  
  


Jackson had nearly died. He fought against an unknown illness for weeks, balancing on the line between life and death in a near perfect fashion. His mother barely left his side, and although he wished he could do the same, Jackson’s father had to leave his son for work during the days. 

It wasn’t until his father had returned with a handsome, tall doctor in his wake that there was hope for Jackson’s life. Despite never speaking it, both of his parents had lost most of their hope for their son’s return after not seeing his puppy dog eyes for nearly a full week.

The doctor had asked Jackson’s mother an array of questions about the day Jackson fell ill and passed out in the clearing on the forest’s edge. She answered best she could, trying to remember through the thick haze of worry clinging to the edges of her mind. She told him that she found Jackson lingering on the edge of the forest, his head turned to the green behind him before calling out to her. But there was nothing there- at least nothing she’d been able to see, nothing that could’ve taken her little boy.

The doctor, though, had asked a question no one had yet to think about.  _ “Did your son ingest a sunflower? He’s showing the signs of it, and although you live far out, the prince’s influence definitely reaches out this far.” _

His father had gone to check the surrounding forest, coming back with a sad nod of his head. Just like that, their hope had been lost, blown away with the wind, gone forever.

The doctor had only laughed.  _ “I can heal him. Just give me a few hours and he will hopefully be awake tomorrow. Please, get some rest while I work, I will need space.” _

And just as the man had said, Jackson’s eyes fluttered open early in the morning, finding an unknown face hovering above his own, dark eyes meeting his without flinching.

“If you’re here to kill me, please don’t. I’m too young and cute to die. Definitely too cute,” Jackson said, just for good measure. Maybe if this man  _ really  _ saw that Jackson was young and cute he’d leave.

The man laughed, and Jackson felt his guard falling slightly. The man was handsome when he laughed, and despite Jackson’s first assumption, he was actually very young. “I’m not here to kill you. I did the opposite. You ate some of a sunflower, right?”

Jackson didn’t want to admit it, because it had been very stupid of a thing to do, but the way the man’s eyes burned into his own, the nod was nearly forced from him.

“Good. If you hadn’t have eaten it my potion- er, my  _ mixture _ , wouldn’t have worked anyways. Just… don’t eat that again. I don’t know if I can save you a second time.” The voice wasn’t scolding as much as it was gentle, speaking to Jackson as if he was made of glass. And maybe some part of him was, because it broke right then.

Jackson felt a rush of tears push at his eyes with the force of a hurricane. He couldn’t see through the haze in his eyes. “Y-your name?”

The doctor leaned forward and wiped at Jackson’s tears gently, fingers lingering momentarily before he was pulling away. “You can remember me as Lay, and hopefully you won’t, but if you ever need to find me again, ask around with that name. Goodbye, Jackson Wang. Hold your life high above all else because that is where it belongs.”

Jackson couldn’t see Lay leave through the film of tears covering his eyes, but he heard his heavy steps recede, and eventually heard his front door click closed softly. Once alone, the tears broke through their dam and Jackson nearly drowned himself, tasting the saltiness of the tears on his tongue.

  
  
  


As Jackson stares with shaking hands down at the letter settled carefully between his fingers, he feels that same frame of glass shatter inwards, tears cutting him up as they make their way out of his eyes. 

He was summoned to the castle under the orders of the King and Queen of Malgeun because their son, Prince Jinyoung, was in dire need of someone to marry.

Jackson didn’t know if he could accept. He would be surrounded by  _ sunflowers,  _ by the plants that almost ended his life after one taste. And he’d be surrounded by the reason the sunflowers grew.  _ Prince Jinyoung. _


	2. chapter one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson goes to the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i totally fucked up all this updating but if you’re new here you have no idea so enjoY <333

Shirts of deep purple silk, beautiful and flowing, lined in silver lace. Makeup powdered on and eyes lined in gentle, pale white eyeliner to make eyes look wider, more awake. Lips covered in light red tints, shimmering and glistening beneath the golden sunlight.

It was intimidating, to say the least, and although Jackson had no desire of becoming the Prince’s willing husband, he felt oddly self-conscious and out of place in his worn black jeans and loose white button up. It was the nicest shirt he owned, and despite the fact that it hadn’t been worn in years because his father had been saving it for when Jackson next attempted to get a job, the age in the shirt was visible in the stretched cotton and small wrinkle lines scattered through the fabric. He wouldn’t let that bother him, though, because he had only come to the castle in pure civic duty, and had no intention of even stepping foot inside of the biggest building in Malgeun.

The journey there had been nothing less than stressful, and Jackson’s nerves were frayed like the end of a rope. He wanted to get this over with so he could go back home to his mom and dad, where he’d lived his entire life.

No matter how much Jackson had attempted to calm himself by counting to ten and then counting backwards, by saying the English alphabet from A-Z and then saying that backwards as well- nothing had worked. His brain struggled to find a way to melt into calmness, so his body was left twisted into a pretzel of nerves.

Jackson had resorted to humming to himself quietly, his voice bumping along with the uncomfortable carriage he was seated in. He found himself subconsciously humming a lullaby his mom would sing to him when he was young and was moving too much to sleep.

“Mommy is the best in the world,” she would sing, her voice gentle and soothing slowing the ever-constant moving of Jackson’s young mind. “With a mom you have the most valuable treasure. Jump into your mom’s heart and you will find happiness!” Jackson would always find himself smiling at that line, imagining himself looking into his mom’s chest and finding the bright sun shining back at him, pure liquid gold as a symbol of her joy. “Mommy is the best in the world. Without your mom, you are like a blade of grass. Away from your mom’s heart, where would you find happiness?” When she finished singing, she would always lay her head on top of Jackson’s, kissing the middle of his dark hair gently. She would say that when he’d been born, she realized he brought her all the happiness in the world.

Jackson smiles nostalgically as he remembers this, his heart clenching lamely in his chest, aching for his parents. He would feel so alone when he was at the pride of Malgeun, but hopefully it would only be a day before he was home, safe and happy; where he belonged.

Despite carrying a subconscious fear of the big, yellow flowers that littered their streets on every turn, Jackson still found himself in awe of their beauty. Prince Jinyoung’s power was beautiful and it was a synonym for the Prince himself- or at least the stories that surrounded him. The people of Jackson’s village spoke about a pure beauty that radiated from within Prince Jinyoung, just as the sun’s liquid gold dripped from the sky. He was alluring, as if his magic was a magnet within him, pulling people in involuntarily; a mind of its own. Prince Jinyoung was just as kind as beautiful, apparently. Although Jackson had never personally seen the Prince in his side of Malgeun, he had heard stories from his father- who worked upon the streets, catching gossip like a frog catches flies- about Prince Jinyoung riding out to some of the more poorer villages, offering his kindness and help to give those an easier life. He didn’t even have to offer money, his father would repeat, that all he gave was a small wave of his hand, and the crops had righted themselves, the brown, dry grass- that was very prone to wildfires if the people were not careful- would spring up into a new skin, green and tall.

So Jackson had heard of the Prince, knew about the way his heart beat for the people that he would soon rule, but never had he seen him. There were whispers of golden blonde hair and deep brown eyes, but nothing of substance. Nothing that poured a mould of the Prince in Jackson’s mind. That, over everything, probably scared Jackson most. He didn’t care much about what he would be doing here, if he would stay, but no matter how much he told himself it didn’t matter, that the way he’d be viewed by the Prince meant absolutely nothing, his stomach still roiled heavily inside of him.

When the carriage had come close enough to the castle that Jackson could see the building clearly, he felt his heart clench in his chest, an iron grip around the desperate muscle. It was stunning. Jackson could barely breathe, his throat constricting. Stone glinting golden beneath the beating sun, framed by a clear baby blue sky. None of that was what caught Jackson’s attention, though. It was the sunflowers that were growing like vines around the giant building, wrapped around the stone, almost as if they were trying to climb up to the one creating them. They were all over the castle, starting in the electric green grass and slithering all the way up to the roof of the building. Sunflowers grew particularly thick from the farthest window to the right on the third row of windows- there were six rows, five windows in each row- and Jackson smiled softly when he realized that was most definitely the Prince’s room.

The next thing Jackson noticed after staring at the building, trapped in a daze powered by pure awe, was the crowd of people surrounding the front of the castle. Jackson could see the sun glinting silver off of their clothes, and he knew that he would find himself horribly underdressed. Most went all out when trying to seduce the Prince, of course, but they had enough money for that. Jackson figured if any of the other not-wealthy citizens of Malgeun showed up they would be very similarly dressed as him. Unless he was the only one that was willing to send off a description of his entire life- which had been, unsurprisingly, horribly unimpressive- his birth certificate to assure them that he was a male between ages 23-25, and early the next day, when he assumed his resume of sorts had been looked through, a photo of him, smiling as prettily as he could for the camera that had been shoved into his face by an overdressed man with Malgeun’s symbol- a golden sun breaking over a hill- on the deep purple fabric stretched over his shoulder. He’d been picked up two days later, very early that morning, and there he was, watching the crowd of people and the castle grow bigger the closer he got.

He felt the carriage begin to slow, and with it the knots in his stomach began forming once again, even tighter than before. If he got any more nervous he would probably curl himself into a pretzel- which would mean that he could go home, which made the idea not seem like such a bad one anymore.

Jackson took a deep breath. “Inhale calmness,” Jackson said as his lungs filled slowly, imagining lavender air laced with calmness swirling around in his lungs, “and exhale anxiety,” he whispered as he pushed out the clouds of gray he imagined within his chest.

When the carriage wheels stopped turning, Jackson clung to the artificial calm he’d carefully crafted, like a child clinging to their mother. He was an adult and he would act like one, no matter how much he felt like a cowering toddler on the inside. Jackson was strong and he could wear a mask if he needed to- that much he knew.

He stepped from the carriage hesitantly, gasping softly as soon as the spongy grass bent under the soles of his father’s old dress shoes. Jackson was sure he’d stepped into another world; one dripping with thick, vibrant paint that colored the grass beneath his feet or dotted the flowers sprouted around him and radiating a suffocating scent- the same one Jackson smelled anytime he pushed through the heavy trees at the perimeter of his village and surrounded himself with nature. Jackson was shocked by the cool wind wrapping around his shoulders in a hug. A few hours before, when he’d been at home, it had been stifling hot- almost unbearable- and his shirt had clung to the skin of his back, sticky with sweat. As he stood before the castle, though, his hair was being brushed off of his forehead by the gentle, fleeting fingers of the wind.

Prince Jaebeom must be here, Jackson thought, feeling his facade break slowly. If that was true, and the Prince of Gonggi was currently in the castle, that meant Jackson had not only Malgeun’s Prince to charm, but also one of their closest allies Prince as well. He was screwed, especially without all the extra silver shining at the skin of his wrist and neck.

Jackson pushed out a deep breath, forcing his feet to move forward on the thick carpet of grass, vacillating staying and running headfirst into one of the scariest things he’d ever done, or getting the hell out of there and taking his happy ass right back home where he was safe and out of the judging eyes of Malgeun’s citizens. Ultimately, though, Jackson knew he would stay. He would prove to himself that he could break past his silly fear of Prince Jinyoung and the Prince’s powers, and he would take on this challenge bravely.

With every footprint Jackson left in the grass, he felt his knot of nerves unravel slightly, tugging itself apart like a shoelace. Even as the crowd grew closer, all Jackson realized was that there weren’t many people, and they all talked amongst themselves, uncaring of what was going on around them.

Jackson approached two men who weren’t as nicely dressed as the rest of the crowd, who were standing close together and speaking to each other. The both of them had black hair, but one was slightly taller than the other, and he was wearing a shimmering silver shirt tucked into black pants, while his friend was wearing nearly the same thing but his shirt shimmered pink beneath the sun.

The one in the pink shirt heard Jackson’s steps first, and he turned around curiously. He was stunning: thick, pink lips and shining brown eyes. He had a thin nose and high cheekbones, and his black hair fell onto his forehead, making his skin look like a fresh sheet of snow. If Jackson hadn’t been screwed before, he definitely was now.

I hate to seem like an ass, Jackson thought to himself as he continued forward, but I hope his friend is ugly or I’m absolutely fucked.

As if hearing his thoughts, the other man turned around to Jackson, his hands falling from their position held in the air, mid-gesture. Of course, Jackson thought. Of course he’s hot too. Pretty lips with an even prettier cupids bow, black hair pushed back to reveal a clear, tan forehead. His dark chocolate eyes sparkled beneath the sun, and Jackson considered the idea of turning around- but he wouldn’t, because he had his own good looks… or, he thought he did, at least.

“Hello,” Jackson said warmly with a small smile. “I just saw the two of you and I figured I could face two people easier than a crowd of 50.”

The one in white grinned, his lips pulling back to reveal pretty white teeth. Jackson noticed that his bottom teeth were settled slightly in front of his top in an underbite, and he found it terribly cute. “That’s a good tactic. You picked the right people to approach; Seokjin and I don’t bite. Or, I don’t, at least. I don’t quite know about him.”

Seokjin gasped before he turned and smacked his friend on the shoulder. “Yes you do, you’ve known me since you were just an annoying baby sucking on your fingers all the time. I’ve never once bitten you even though you tried to steal my rattle once and it clearly had my name written on it, not yours.”

The other grabbed his shoulder where he’d been hit, staring at Seokjin with eyes full of betrayal. “I was three, I couldn’t read! You’re probably going to scare of this nice man, so stop being a turd and take off the tiara, princess.”

“Namjoon, for the last time, my sister put it on me! I didn’t volunteer like she told you, she’s just a compulsive liar. It’s all the mangas getting to her head, I’m telling you.” Seokjin was very clearly lying by the way his face reddened and the molten lava running down his neck and making his skin the same red.

Jackson decided then and there that he’d made a good choice walking over to the two of them. He’d never really been around many people his age- most of the people in his village were elderly, and although they all adored Jackson, it wasn’t quite the same- but he decided he knew enough to say these guys would be fun to be around.

Namjoon sighed softly, shaking his head and finally turning back to Jackson, ignoring the mumbling of Seokjin. “I am terribly sorry for… that. As you heard, I’m Kim Namjoon, and that’s Kim Seokjin. No we’re not brothers, nor are we related.”

Jackson laughed softly. “Yes, I figured not, although you do fight like brothers. I’ve come to notice that Kim is a very popular last name in Malgeun.”

Seokjin scoffed. “Try all of Kankoku. You know Prince Yugyeom’s last name is also Kim, and he’s not even in Malgeun. It’s just a whole country thing. I find it unsettling.”

“Try tiring,” Namjoon said, settling his arm on Seokjin’s shoulder and leaning against him as if he was beginning to get annoyed with standing. “You don’t know how many times a tutor of mine has called out Kim and half of the class would end up raising their hand.”

Jackson leaned forward, feeling his mouth open on its own accord and his brain begin firing orders for words before he could stop it. “You have a tutor? What is school like? Is there a lot of people? I bet it’s boring. Is it boring?”

Jackson probably would have continued his interrogation if not for Seokjin’s hand coming up and stopping the flow of random questions falling from his lips. Jackson always tended to overdo it, and he truly hoped the two men wouldn’t leave him because of that.

Much to Jackson’s relief, Seokjin just smiled, putting his hand back to his side before wrapping the other arm around Namjoon’s waist loosely. “Yes, we have tutors. And school is not as fun as it’s made out to be, but I am glad I went. No, there are not many people, at least not in my class. Namjoon is younger so he has more in his.”

Namjoon nodded with a smile. “Yeah! A lot with the last name Kim. Hey, what’s your last name? And your first name? We didn’t get that either, I don’t think.”

Jackson smiled. Maybe he wasn’t the only one with a tendency to overdo it. “Jackson Wang, at your service. Tell me all about your schooling experience, please. I’ve never gone and always found it interesting to throw a bunch of teenagers under a bunch of bricks and watch them attack each other like wild animals. Unless there isn’t any attacking?”

Seokjin leaned forward, pulling Namjoon with him, before he began talking, Namjoon piping in every once in a while to add things or to correct Seokjin. Throughout the whole conversation, Jackson barely even noticed the people disappearing into the castle one by one.

 


	3. chapter two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson enters the castle. (a big change from last chapter, i know)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> before we begin, i'd like to dedicate this to my beautiful, amazinG rebecca-unnie/genius editor <33  
> i love u so much shorty & thank you for dealing with my disrespectful ass ♡＼(￣▽￣)／♡
> 
> oops sorry for the soft hour,,, enjoy this :))) 
> 
>  
> 
> ps. namjin is real park jimin himself said so,,, i'm just fulfilling the king's wishes

Jackson was convinced that his thick legs- which were corded with strong muscle after working outside in his village on end- had turned to jello. His knees wobbled with every step and every time his feet pushed into the thick carpet of grass, the heels of his shoes sunk in slightly, making him stumble an embarrassingly large amount of times. 

“Goddamn spongy, rich people grass,” Jackson had gritted out after he’d created craters of his father’s dress shoes along the grassy path leading to the castle for the umpteenth time.

Namjoon and Seokjin laughed at Jackson, and although they were laughing at him like some sort of bullies, Jackson was glad the two of them were comfortable enough around him to treat Jackson like an actual,  _ real  _ friend, and not just some guy they’d started talking to because he was the only option. (Which wouldn’t be correct anyways, seeing as Jackson approached the two of them first.)

Seokjin linked his and Jackson’s arms, pulling Jackson into his side. “I’ll help you with your balance. You’re nearly as clumsy as my good friend Kim Namjoon.”

Namjoon made a noise of protest on the other side of Seokjin. “I’ll have you know, Princess Seokjin, that I haven’t broken anything in over a month.”

The nickname,  _ Princess Seokjin,  _ should sound rude, something like an insult, maybe even something degrading, but Namjoon says it with nothing but fondness in his tone- so much fondness, in fact, that the nickname seems like a compliment to Jackson.

Seokjin doesn’t seem to notice the way Namjoon’s voice had grown soft, and instead shoves Namjoon’s shoulder, making the man stumble with a groan and a hand on his arm. “Stop calling me that, asshole. It was my sister’s doing, remember?” Seokjin reminds, linking his free arm with Namjoon, almost as if in apology for hitting him. “Anyways, I know you broke that little vase Jimin made during pottery class, and that happened yesterday. So guess who’s the god of destruction  _ and  _ a liar.”

Jackson giggled at the way Namjoon huffed, pouting but with a tinge of pinks lingering at the top of his tan cheeks. “I knew I shouldn’t have told your sister about that. She’s damn near evil. Must be because of who she has to look up to.”

Seokjin puffed his chest out, ready to reply with something probably equally as rude as what Namjoon said, but Jackson stopped him with a hand. “There should be no fighting. Only love, my friends. It’s what makes the world go ‘round.”

Namjoon scoffed while Seokjin giggled. “He’s quoting poetry,” Namjoon said with disbelief but also with a hint of teasing in his tone.

Jackson nodded, “Right you are. I am trying to keep myself from having a mental breakdown because I can actually, physically see the castle’s doors right now. They’re a really dark brown and they-”

“We know,” Seokjin says. “We’re walking right beside you, Jackson, we’re seeing the exact same thing as you are. I also see two men holding open the doors for people so they can enter and see the Prince.”

Jackson nodded, seeing the two men wearing deep purple uniforms that had an array of scary weapons in which Jackson chose to not put a name to so he didn’t give himself an actual panic attack, but also the symbol of Malgeun on their shoulders, bright and glittering. If he focused on that, the thundering of his heart and pounding in his head quieted slightly. These people aren’t here to intimidate him, they’re there to do their jobs and nothing else.

Namjoon poked his head in front of Seokjin’s broad shoulders, looking over at Jackson. “You know, the Prince will probably want to talk to all of us personally. Like a one-on-one sort of thing. He’s a very touchy sort of guy and he likes to see his people with his own eyes. For some reason.”

Seokjin bumped his shoulder into Namjoon’s, but Jackson couldn’t really pay attention to the way it jostled him. Their feet had hit pavement which meant they were on the final stretch to entering the castle- to seeing the Prince, to being around all of those judgy, rich people. Jackson was concerned for  _ himself,  _ because he hadn’t been this nervous on the way to the castle- although he hadn’t been  _ not _ nervous- but now he felt like his stomach was on its way to being a pretzel once again with how many knots had been formed in it. He was probably so nervous because he’d meet the Prince, someone who had just been nearly fictional until he’d received the message from his parents; Jackson had never seen the Prince, never spoken to him, and had only heard stories about him.

“Jackson, if you keep tuning us out I’m going to beat you with Namjoon’s hand,” Seokjin threatened, grasping Namjoon’s wrist and holding his arm up.

Namjoon sighed, pulling his hand from Seokjin’s grasp. “Why my hand? Why can’t you just threaten him and take responsibility for it?”

“Because your hands are bigger than mine, and I might feel bad after so I could just blame it on you,” Seokjin replied, tugging on Jackson’s arm with a pretty smile. “Don’t be so nervous, Jackson. We’ll be with you the whole time, remember?”

“Until the Prince calls you in for a one-on-one talk,” Namjoon said quietly. Jackson and Seokjin ignored him.

“I know. Thanks guys, sorry for being so… you know. I’m normally a lot more energetic! I’m just really nervous for some reason,” Jackson said.

Seokjin grinned, pulling Jackson and Namjoon to walk faster. “Well, here’s where we find out what the Prince’s type in men  _ really  _ is. Is his type an annoying pest with nice dimples? Namjoon for sure. Is his type a beautiful man everyone likes? Me, definitely.”

“And if his type is an energetic goofball who just needs a hug, then it’ll be me,” Jackson finished with a smile. “Let’s be forreal now. Once he sees Seokjin, we’re all done for.”

Namjoon scoffed, “Speak for yourself, hon. I’m prettier than Seokjin is on the inside, and that’s what matters.”

“I have an amazing inside!” Seokjin argued loudly, pulling his arm from Jackson’s so he could smack Namjoon on the back of his head.

Jackson felt, not for the first time, that there was something between the two guys- maybe it was only that they were really close and just  _ happened  _ to act like a married couple, or maybe it was more. Whatever it was, Jackson felt like it was something special, and he thought it was very cute.  _ Maybe one day I’ll find someone,  _ Jackson thought.

“Guys,” Jackson said softly. “We are crossing the doorstep. Only some find themselves with this honor. If we aren’t good enough we’ll be blasted away.”

Namjoon chuckled. “You read way too many books, Jackson. But, just in case, Seokjin you should let the two of us go so you don’t injure us when you’re blasted all the way to Ilbon.”

Before Seokjin had time to offer a rebuttal, they were stepping into the castle, voices echoing off of the walls around them, footsteps loud on the marble floors. Jackson observed his surroundings with barely contained awe, eyes soaking up everything that they could see. The white marble walls and matching floors shone under bright lights that were concealed in sparkling chandeliers that had dangling gold decorations. Everything looked perfect and untouchable, and Jackson felt as if he shouldn’t be walking on the impeccable floors with his dirty, mud caked shoes. Seokjin, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care about how clean the floors were, or how pretty the chandelier above their heads was.

“Tell me if you see some blonde hair,” Seokjin whispered to the two boys on his arms. “It’s probably the Prince. I’ve been wanting to see him again ever since he came to our school that one time because that lightning struck a tree and it fell on the boy’s outdoor bathroom.”

Namjoon laughed, shaking his head at Seokjin’s shifting eyes. “He will definitely remember you. I’m pretty sure he heard you scream ‘I love you Prince Jinyoung-oppa!’ all the way from the third floor. Actually- I’m pretty sure everyone heard you.”

“That’s because I’m amazing and my voice carries,” Seokjin replied. “I lost my voice for three days after it, but it was worth the excruciating pain every time I tried to yell at you for doing something idiotic.”

“I’m assuming that happens a lot?” Jackson asked, turning to Seokjin and Namjoon with a small smile. He’d looked through the crowd of people but he hadn’t seen any golden blonde hair that the Prince was said to have. A small weight lifted from his shoulders when he noticed the crowd of people that he’d once found overly intimidating was actually quite small. The three of them moved into some sort of waiting room. It was where most of the people were gathered, talking amongst themselves. There were chairs and couches lining the room, but no one sat in them. Jackson’s head was mildly quiet, the nerves that had been scratching along the corners of his mind were starting to retreat.

“You’d be surprised,” Namjoon replied with a sigh. “Oh- Jin, is that the color hair you’re talking about? See, look, I told you it was windy outside, because that’s definitely Prince Jaebeom. I’d know his silver hair anywhere.”

Jackson’s eyes shifted to where Namjoon and Seokjin were focused, and he felt his breath catch in his throat.  _ HIs hair really is like liquid gold,  _ Jackson thought, his eyes following a bouncing head of hair as the Prince made his way to the front of the room. Everyone quieted down, which surprised Jackson. He’d expected people to freak upon the appearance of their Prince- but, after a second, Jackson realized:  _ they’d all seen him before.  _ Prince Jinyoung had visited nearly all of Malgeun, had tried to help his people as well as possible while still learning how to rule an entire providence. Prince Jinyoung had never come to Jackson’s specific village, but he’d been around to many others, seeing his people and many times speaking with them- at least, if any of the stories Jackson heard were right. No one was surprised at the Prince because for them, he had been real, he had been someone they  _ saw _ , not just heard of.

“Don’t cry when you see his face,” Seokjin whispered to Jackson. “He’s really as beautiful as everyone says, maybe even more, but it will definitely freak him out if you cry.”

Jackson nodded absentmindedly. “I won’t cry. I can promise that. I might  _ want  _ to cry, though.”

There were a lot of beautiful things Jackson had seen in his life. His mom, for sure. She was the most beautiful person he’d ever met, inside and out. The forest that grew on the perimeter of Jackson’s village, thick, green trees and vivid plants splashed with neon colors. Hell, even Seokjin was considered highly beautiful in Jackson’s books, thick pink lips and glittering brown eyes.

Prince Jinyoung, though, was stunning. He had a different sort of beauty, Jackson thought. He was outwardly beautiful, but his eyes- even from far away, Jackson could see that the Prince’s eyes were beyond soft as he looked at his people, like he actually  _ loved  _ the ones that lived in Malgeun. Jackson felt lucky to be one of the people Prince Jinyoung’s chocolate eyes brushed upon, even if it was only for a second. Jackson’s cheeks burned embarrassingly hot at the second of attention he received.

“He really is beautiful,” Jackson said softly, almost to himself. He had expected the Prince to be beautiful, of course, but it was something different in person;  _ he  _ was something different in person. His skin sparkled as if the sun shone from within him and it was glowing from the inside out. His lips were pretty and pink, big without being distracting. _ He even has nice eyebrows,  _ Jackson thought with a small frown.

Seokjin hummed in agreement. “Imagine how much better he is up close. And he’s nice. Like, a big, huge sweetheart.”

“There’s virtually nothing wrong with him,” Namjoon butted in. “Even his mildly large ears are charming as hell.”

Jackson turned to face Seokjin, hesitantly tugging his eyes from the Prince. “So do you think he’ll pick whoever he wants to marry today? Or like, he’ll narrow us down slowly?”

Seokjin nodded. “He’ll narrow us down slowly. I think today he’ll pick a few of us to stay and then decide. Today is just the beginning.”

“Or maybe it’s just love at first sight,” Namjoon said quietly. “He sees someone that he just falls in love with immediately.”

“ _ Now  _ who’s been reading too many books?” Seokjin asked, turning to Namjoon. Namjoon just shrugged.

“Maybe Namjoon is onto something,”Jackson said. At Namjoon and Seokjin’s look he rolled his eyes. “Well, he’s obviously not going to pick based on love, he would never have time; Prince Jinyoung is under pressure to find someone to marry because Prince Jabeom and Prince Yugyeom have all found their someone. Prince Mark doesn’t want to marry, which means that Prince Jinyoung has to, especially if he wants to keep up with Ilbon. He’ll be picking off of pure instinct, and sometimes instinct can disguise itself as something  _ more.” _

Seokjin and Namjoon stared at Jackson as if he’d started speaking in English. “I mean, that’s one way to look at it,” Seokjin said.

Jackson opened his mouth to reply, but there was another voice- this one soft but booming, echoing through the room with practiced accuracy.

“Welcome, everyone,” Prince Jinyoung said softly, his eyes scanning the crowd slowly. When his eyes locked with Jackson’s- who was most definitely staring, mouth wide open- a small smile graced his pretty lips.

“I think,” Jackson said softly, “that I just fell in love.”

Namjoon laughed brightly, “Oh no, was my love at first theory directed towards the wrong person?”

The Prince replied before Jackson could. “I bet you’re all nervous, but please don’t be. I’m just a normal person like the rest of you.”

“Yeah, except for the fact that you’re going to be leading an entire providence  _ and  _ have the ability to do magic,” a voice said from behind Prince Jinyoung.

Prince Jinyoung just laughed, his hand coming up to cover his mouth as his eyes scrunched up cutely. “Thank you for that amazing insight. I’m sure you’ve all heard of my good friend Prince Jaebeom. He’s terrible company, but there’s a personality in there  _ somewhere _ .”

Jackson snorted, turning his face to the ground with a small smile. So the Prince actually had some sort of personality aside from the  _ amazing kindness  _ that he showed his people.

“Anyways,” the Prince continued, and Jackson lifted his head, swearing he saw the Prince’s eyes jerk away from him quickly, “today I’ll be meeting all of you in person. We’ll be able to talk for a little bit. I’m excited to meet you all, and I hope we get along well. We’re going to do this by last name order, so no lying and find your spot in line.”

_ I’ll be towards the end,  _ Jackson thought.  _ At least it’ll give me time to think about what to say. _

“Good luck,” Namjoon said to Jackson with a smile, patting Jackson on top of his head affectionately. Seokjin pulled his arms from Namjoon and Jackson, moving to give Jackson a small hug.

Seokjin pulled away with a smile. “You’ll be great, Jackson. Just be yourself, okay? We’ll see you later, for sure. We can try to get rooms next to each other!”

Jackson nodded softly. “Yes. Definitely. I’ll see you guys in a little bit. Remember, Seokjin, no crying in front of the Prince. He’s a normal person and he might find it weird.”

“And no staring open mouthed again!” Seokjin replied, him and Namjoon going to find their place in line together.

Jackson did the same, his head down and his heart in his throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess what's going down next chapter (^_−)☆ 
> 
> and like,,, i know jinyoung is the biggest sadist/sweetheart mixture to ever sit their thicc ass on this earth but we'll see his actual self later when he's not trying to run a providence 24/7 
> 
> i'm on twitter @hhobihugs if u wanna yell at me ((happens sometimes :))
> 
> -tori


	4. chapter three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson meets Prince Jaebeom and Prince Jinyoung.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome!!!
> 
> chapter three and shit is finally happening,,, whooP
> 
> alsO: _dawn of us, dawn of us, dawn of us_  
>  i'm so proud of him it hurts???? i would like to thank his parents for having sex and mine too because they're the reason i get to see him every day. 
> 
> 100% dedicating this to jackson wang who will never even know he made it to my author's notes  
> (and my rebecca-unnie/genius editor because i love her & she makes me sound less like a dumb ass) ((she has no control over my author's notes tho,,,,))
> 
>  
> 
> enjoy!

Jackson knew of many ways to distract himself. Usually he’d create a story in his mind, something that took him out of the situation he was in and took him somewhere else, somewhere that he could be himself without worrying, or somewhere in which he could watch the way rain fell from the clouds and landed on the ground in splatters that resembled tears. 

He just imagined a place where he could be free; he could feel the wind curl around him in a gentle embrace before it picked him up off of the ground and spun him around in a dance that he didn’t know but fully understood. 

Sometimes, he’d practice the different languages he knew. He’d sit on his bed, looking out of the window as he repeated a myriad of various phrases in the languages he was fluent in. He’d be so focused on pronouncing the crisp sounds and long letters that he’d forget all about what was making him nervous or upset to begin with.

Other times, when Jackson had no other place to go, he’d find himself taking refuge in the protection that music offered him. He’d sing the songs he knew, or sometimes he’d try to rap- although he stumbled over his words every once in a while, he quite liked how rapping so quickly made him feel. Jackson couldn’t rap right now, however, nor could he imagine himself freefalling only to be caught by the very deft hands of the wind. 

So instead, Jackson stood stiffly and upright, his hands stuffed in his front pockets, and started mouthing to himself the different phrases he knew. Some were in English, a language he’d learned from one of the elders in his village in return for his work rebuilding the fence around the perimeter of her home, and others were in Cantonese, the language that his ancestors spoke that was taught and passed down through the many generations of his family. 

Jackson likely looked like a crazy person, mouth moving around the different words and phrases quickly and carefully, his eyes slightly shut against the bright light surrounding him. Jackson didn’t exactly care how he looked to the people around him, though. His nerves, which had been tingling and begging for attention, were finally starting to succumb to Jackson’s attempt at calmness.

At home, before Jackson had left for the castle at the center of Malgeun, he hadn’t at all been a nervous wreck like he currently was. He’d been perfectly fine helping his mother cook, or assisting his elderly neighbor pull her weeds. He’d slept perfectly fine- hadn’t laid stiffly on his back, head comfortable on the pillows, counting the cracks in his old, damaged ceiling. Jackson had just been keeping himself much too busy to worry about the possibility of speaking to the Prince, or even just  _ seeing _ the Prince with his own two eyes. 

Before he’d left, his mother had told him to be confident and brave because she said Jackson had been made of pure sunshine, and because of that, Prince Jinyoung would be drawn to Jackson like a moth to a flame. Jackson was probably the most scared of that exact thing happening to him; being picked by Prince Jinyoung and having to stand in front of his entire providence, or even worse, his entire country of Kankoku as the Prince’s husband. He’d have to give up his entire life and that terrified him. 

No matter how afraid Jackson was of losing his only life to the possibility of finding love with the Prince, Jackson knew he’d end up trying his hardest to impress Prince Jinyoung. Jackson had, very long ago, come to realize that he was terribly stubborn- just as his mother had always been. Jackson was never sure if being stubborn was a strength or weakness, but his mother had managed to snag the love of her life because  _ when she wanted something, she got it _ , so Jackson liked to think it was a strength. He’d been silently hoping to himself that his stubbornness is what would tug him through this conversation with Prince Jinyoung.

Jackson couldn’t help but notice the rapid decrease in the length of the line. At first, there had been nearly 30 people in front of him, and around 10 people behind him. Now, there were only five people in front of him, all looking just as nervous as Jackson felt. The volume of chatter within the room had decreased drastically, the echoing of voices lessening to a nearly awkward silence. Jackson was positive that if he’d sneezed, it would’ve sounded something like a gunshot. 

When there were only four people left in front of him, Jackson found himself switching between languages quickly, saying one phrase softly like a mantra: “I am strong.”

Three people: “I am strong,” Jackson said softly to himself in Korean, the native language of Kankoku. 

Two people: “I am strong,” Jackson said gently in English, his voice quiet so no one but himself could hear the words. 

One person left: “I am strong,” Jackson mouthed in Cantonese, the words inaudible even to Jackson. It was like a final promise to himself, one that he held close to his heart. 

When the dark wood door opened to reveal a horribly bored looking Prince Jaebeom, Jackson couldn’t help but grin and let out a small chuckle. 

“Getting boring, Prince Jaebeom?” Jackson asked, his voice stronger and more confident than he’d been truly expecting. 

Prince Jaebeom rolled his eyes, silver hair teasing at the tops of his eyebrows. “You have no idea,” Prince Jaebeom replied with a small smile. 

_ It must be a common theme for the Princes to be handsome,  _ Jackson thought to himself, noting Prince Jaebeom’s crystal clear skin and sparkling brown eyes. 

“Just think,” Jackson began, “you won’t have to be the one that has to marry one of these boring guys. You’ll just have to see him every so often- and even then, you won’t really have to bother with him unless it was necessary.”

Prince Jaebeom’s face split into a huge smile, eyes nearly disappearing. “I like the way you think. What’s your name?”

Jackson felt his eyes widen in surprise. Prince Jaebeom was asking for Jackson’s name- was that a good thing? Had Jackson impressed one of Prince Jinyoung’s closest friends and the Prince of Malgeun’s most trusted ally? “Jackson Wang, at your service.”

Prince Jaebeom nodded, a small smile still lingering on his handsome face. He moved his body back, opening the door wider for Jackson to enter. 

“Good luck,” Prince Jaebeom says with a wink at Jackson before walking away, his shiny dress shoes loud on the white marble as he walks away from the sitting room, down a hallway Jackson can’t seem to see the end of. 

Jackson feels his heart speed up as he looks a small bit to the right and sees Prince Jinyong seated comfortably on a black, velvet couch, his arms stretched out along the back of the sofa. It was probably meant to be a casual pose, one that suggested an easy conversation, but Prince Jinyoung had this air about him- maybe it was the way he held himself so high, or maybe it was the way his golden blonde hair looked so carefully messy and everything about him looked so put together- that made him seem as if he was ready for something more formal and important. 

“Hello,” Jackson said softly, stuffing his hands in his pockets to keep from doing something weird with them, bowing nearly ninety degrees for the Prince. 

Prince Jinyoung had a weird, honky sort of laugh, but Jackson found that he quite liked it- enough to where Jackson was smiling into his bow, trying to keep the look on his face neutral but failing miserably. “Please don’t bow. Actually- too late to say that. Please stop bowing.”

Jackson did as told, standing up straight, still wearing a small smile on his lips. It was getting harder to breathe properly as he physically saw Prince Jinyoung’s warm brown eyes on him, saw that small smile painted onto those thick, pink lips. “Sorry. I would hate to be rude, especially in such a personal setting. There’d be weird silences.”

Prince Jinyoung’s eyes seemed to light up; they were sparkling like never before, as if someone had bottled up the stars and made Prince Jinyoung’s eyes their sky. “Yes, those are truly the worst. You can sit, if you’d like. It’s also pretty weird to be the only one seated. Makes me feel improper.”

“Which I bet is terrible, especially for a Prince,” Jackson replies without thinking, realizing his comment may be conceived as rude or mocking. He went to open his mouth and apologize but the Prince was just chuckling, little lines creasing the outside corner of his eyes. 

“You have no idea,” Prince Jinyoung said with exasperation. “Less about me, though. I’m sure you’ve heard more than enough of me to last you a lifetime.”

Jackson shook his head. “I haven’t, actually. I live really far out, nearly into Gonggi. It’s so far away, which means I don’t hear much. Some important things like Prince Jaebeom’s marriage to Choi Youngjae, or Prince Yugyeom courting Kunpimook Bhuwakul, and you needing a husband, obviously. I don’t hear the smaller things, like you leaving the castle to visit a place in need. That’s not crucial enough to spread all the way out to reach my village.”

Prince Jinyoung frowned. “You don’t hear about anything like that? So you basically have no clue what might be going on in Malgeun?”

“No,” Jackson replied. “Unless my father brings home stories, or maybe some of the other people in my village do. Most of them are too old to go out into the city, though, so we’re usually kept in the dark.”

“That’s terrible,” Prince Jinyoung said, sympathy lacing his voice. “I will do something about that. Especially now that you’re here; I want your family to be able to know what’s happening. It would be unfair for those in the city to know.”

“Thank you, I know my mother would appreciate it,” Jackson said. “She was trying to act as if she wasn’t worried but I know she was.”

“Tell me about her,” the Prince requests. “When you talk about her there’s a certain softness in your voice. Are you two close?”

Jackson nods with a smile. “My mom is probably my best friend. There’s no one my age in the village, you know? And children usually tend to stick to their mother’s side normally anyways, but it was almost as if I had no other choice. I wouldn’t trade our bond for the world, though, nor would I trade it for any sort of friendship.”

“I can tell you really love her. It’s sweet,” Prince Jinyoung says softly. “What sort of things do you do in your village? I think I’ve been over there to go travel into Gonggi, but I’ve never stopped to see anything up close.”

“I usually help out my neighbors,” Jackson replies. “They do things for me in return. One of them taught me English as payment for rebuilding her fence. Or, this one time, I helped one man fix one of the legs on his bed and he gave me an entire bottle of Whiskey. Said it was a payment that only real men deserve. I was thirteen at the time,” Jackson says with a small laugh, one Prince Jinyoung joins in on. 

It’s silent for a moment, both of them smiling- but not at each other, of course- before Jackson speaks up again: “Your sunflowers are out there, you know. They’re beautiful. Tall and vivid, just like they are at the castle. I’m not allowed to touch them, though. I have no clue why, but my parents always worry anytime I’m near them.”

“Maybe they don’t like who’s next in line for king,” Prince Jinyoung jokes, a teasing smile on his face to disperse any weird tension because of Jackson’s sudden confession. “It is weird, though. Something might’ve happened when you were a kid and you just don’t remember. One of the things I hate the most about my powers is how dangerous the flowers are to regular humans.”

“There’s nothing to hate about it,” Jackson says. “Everyone has their flaws. I bet Prince Jaebeom has created a few too many tornadoes in his life span. That’s just how it happens sometimes.”

Prince Jinyoung smiles brightly. “You’re right. Thank you for that… actually, I don’t think I got your name. What might that be?”

Jackson feels his heart leap into his throat and his stomach do a couple of spins. “Jackson Wang.”

The Prince smiles, looks as if he’s going to say something, but the sound of a door opening cuts him off. They both turn their attention to a man in a long-sleeve yellow shirt and black pants walking into the sitting room. He has black hair that’s parted down the middle and his skin is dark and glowing, just like Prince Jinyoung’s. 

“I hate to interrupt, Prince Jinyoung, but Guard Park is feeling much better. His leg is nearly healed,” the man says softly, coming to stand on the side of Prince Jinyoung. His hands are tucked behind his back in a formal way, but his eyes are soft as they look at Prince Jinyoung, suggesting that they may be friends. 

Prince Jinyoung smiles brightly. “That’s amazing to hear, Yixing. I told you we shouldn’t have put Park Jimin that close to a hill, he’s likely the most clumsiest, graceful person I’ve ever met.” 

Yixing smiles softly, his eyes moving to Jackson momentarily before coming back to his face again, eyes moving over his features. “Y-yes, I thought so too, Prince Jinyoung. I am sorry again for interrupting.”

“I don’t mind,” Jackson says, knowing the comment wasn’t meant for him but cutting in anyways. This Yixing looked as if he’d seen a ghost and Jackson felt mildly concerned for him. 

Prince Jinyoung sighed, “How rude of me. Jackson, this is Zhang Yixing, Yixing this is Jackson Wang.”

A look appeared on Yixing’s face- one Jackson found he couldn’t read, except for maybe a hint of recognition in those brown eyes- before he was smiling and bowing at Jackson. “Nice to meet you, Jackson Wang. I should be going now. You can go visit Park Jimin later, Prince Jinyoung, I bet he’d like that.”

The Prince smiled softly, his brown eyes following suit, and nodded, “Of course. Be sure to tell him that I’ll be there later, when I’m not so busy. Thank you, Yixing. Go take a break; I know it’s hard for you to work as much as you have been.” 

Yixing bowed once more at Prince Jinyoung before turning his body to Jackson. His brown eyes were unreadable, like a book written in a language Jackson couldn’t understand. The emotions were there in his eyes, shifting around in the dark irises like waves crashing through the sea. “Nice to meet you, Jackson.” 

For some reason, Jackson felt as if the kindness was forced, but that was no reason for Jackson to be rude. “You too, Yixing. I hope you get some rest.”

Yixing smiles and nods. “I’ll be sure to. Enjoy the rest of your time together.” 

Jackson feels his cheeks flush at Yixing’s sentence. It seemed like he was suggesting something more, and with the small smirk appeared on his face, Yixing thought so too. He left before Prince Jinyoung could reply with anything, and they both stared at his retreating form in silence for a moment.

“What an ass,” Prince Jinyoung says softly, shaking his head before looking at Jackson. “Sorry for cursing, that man has a way of bringing it out of me.”

Jackson laughs quietly, a smile tugging at his lips. He has a feeling that his and Prince Jinyoung’s conversation was coming to a close, and surprisingly, Jackson could say that he would be sad to tell the Prince goodbye. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

Prince Jinyoung smiles softly at Jackson, his golden hair sparkling, his dark brown eyes shining prettily. “I hate to say it but our conversation has to come to a close. I wish I could talk to you longer but I know there are other people waiting, and I have to be as fair as possible. It was so very nice to meet you, Jackson Wang.”

Prince Jinyoung stood, bowing lowly to Jackson, who was frozen in shock at the Prince’s bow. He snapped out of it quickly, standing as well. Jackson waited for the Prince to stand up fully before taking his turn to bow. “And you, Prince Jinyoung. Thank you for showing me that royals aren’t always stiff and boring.”

Jackson felt slightly embarrassed at his comment, but Prince Jinyoung’s smile was beyond worth it. “Anytime,” the Prince said in response.

Jackson took that as his cue to leave, looking around in masked confusion at all of the different hallways and doors. “Um, I don’t exactly know how to leave.”

The Prince laughed, his eyes crinkling. “There’s a door right behind you, over there,” the Prince gestured with his hand at a dark wooden door, one that was just like the others in the castle.

“Ah, I see,” Jackson said. “Thank you again.” Then Jackson was leaving, his strides long and confident, although he felt a pang in his chest as he left the room.

The first people waiting outside of the door were Namjoon and Seokjin, Seokjin falling forward into Jackson- because, apparently, he’d been trying to listen through the thick wood despite Namjoon’s advice that the door was most definitely too thick.

Seokjin stood up, straightening out his button up, his ears bright red but his movements containing a certain air of calmness that was one hundred percent bullshit. 

“We knew that you were in there,” Namjoon explains. “I counted how many people there were in front of you before Jin and I went in, but that doofus was the one who got the bright idea to listen in even though he couldn’t hear anything.”

Seokjin pouted, bumping his shoulder against Namjoon’s as a way of expressing his anger. “I was trying to be supportive, you ass. Stop being mean to me.”

Namjoon wrapped his arms around Seokjin, tugging him into a hug. “We can go wait for the Prince,” Namjoon said as he released a smiling Seokjin.

Jackson nodded, biting his lip. “Yeah, sure. Is it bad that I’m nervous?”

“Not bad,” Seokjin said. “Just stupid that you are because you had the longest time with Prince Jinyoung by far. He must love you. Marriage is the only reasonable next option.”

Namjoon scoffed, grabbing Jackson and Seokjin’s wrists to pull them away from the door. “Incorrect, but nice try. Let’s go find somewhere to sit, I’m tired of standing.”

“Well, I’m tired of you,” Seokjin replied.

Their bickering was cute but Jackson tuned them out, instead staring down at his feet. He had a feeling the Prince would pick him- he was going to be honest with himself and say that the Prince at least enjoyed his company a little bit, but Jackson didn’t want to leave his parents.

_ It’s time to grow up,  _ Jackson thought to himself. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all know what that means (probably noT)  
> next chapter boutta have that goOd stuff
> 
> an actual conversation between my unnie/editor and i:  
> her: "i'm going to hit you. 'blaze it' next to weeds. you're officially shunned."  
> me: "hahHAH you made it to my favorite part!!!"  
> the things she deals with for this story
> 
> i'm on twitter @hhobihugs if you want a bud (an awkward one ;))
> 
> -tori


	5. chapter four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> read to find out
> 
> (also known as tori getting lazy and writing the shittiest chapter in existence hahafajfa;fj i'm sorry)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh wow im alive!!
> 
> this chapter hasn't been edited yet because my super amazing rebecca-unnie/genius editor needs a damn break from attempting to make me sound not so dumb whoop (my words not her's)
> 
> i'm so sorry this chapter is shit, please don't hate me!! also super sorry it took forever, orchestra and high school in general apparently gets super busy towards the end of the year. only two weeks left of school so updates will be coming quicker!!
> 
> enjoy <33

Seokjin and Namjoon were actually quite good at keeping Jackson busy. They hadn’t asked about Jackson’s conversation with the Prince, or why it had gone on for so long; instead, they told him about some of their outrageous and ridiculous escapades. 

It was quickly becoming clear that Seokjin was often the reckless one in the friendship and Namjoon to be the voice of reason, because despite the fact that Seokjin was older, he seemed to lack the common sense and responsibility that Namjoon had more than enough of. They were practically polar opposites in that sense but they clicked so well together.

After just hearing of a few stories, one where Seokjin had managed to domino nearly 20 bookshelves and Namjoon had sat in the corner watching with a tired disappointment, Jackson noticed Prince Jinyoung follow out the last suitor with a small smile. It was as if his presence alone had thrown a thick woolen blanket over the buzzing room, muting the sounds of people talking. Jackson couldn’t hear anyone anymore and he was too focused on the Prince to see if other men’s mouths had stopped moving.

Prince Jinyoung met Jackson’s gaze with his own, slipping Jackson a small but genuine smile, the crinkling on the corners of the Prince’s eyes a dead giveaway to the authenticity of the grin. Jackson’s mind whirled with possibilities of what the Prince’s small smile meant. Maybe it was a pity smile because Prince Jinyoung would be giving Jackson the boot and sending him home. It could’ve just been friendly, the Prince being the nice guy he was- or, maybe it was Jinyoung’s way of saying he hoped Jackson would enjoy his stay in the castle.

Jackson was surprised at how much he already liked the Prince. He enjoyed Prince Jinyoung’s presence, and not because Jackson felt like he  _ had  _ to. Jackson felt like how he did with Namjoon and Seokjin around the Prince; he felt comfortable around him.

“I think he’s going to send people home,” Seokjin whispered to Namjoon and Jackson, his voice low enough so that the people around them wouldn’t be able to hear his theory.

Namjoon hummed, and Jackson turned to see him nodding thoughtfully. “Makes sense. I wouldn’t be surprised if he sent you home, Jin. I walked in and he looked  _ super _ uncomfortable. Did you bring up the yelling-incident?”

Seokjin scoffed while Jackson laughed softly. “Of course not. I talked to him like I would talk to you or Jackson. He’s a regular dude.”

“Which means you most definitely made him uncomfortable,” Jackson said. He leaned forward on the squishy couch the three of them managed to snag, settling his arms on his knees.

“See, even Jackson knows and we’ve only been friends with him since the morning. Or maybe he’ll send me home because I was so damn awkward. No one likes awkward people,” Namjoon commented with a frown.

Seokjin patted Namjoon’s shoulder. “I like you most of the time. Wait, shut up, he’s about to talk!”

“Literally no one but you was talking,” Namjoon said, shoving his shoulder against Seokjin’s.

Jackson turned his eyes to the Prince.He was standing in the middle of the room, his dark eyes traveling through the crowd, never saying in one place for very long. When his eyes found Jackson’s they lingered there, his eyes speaking words Jackson tried desperately to understand.

Prince Jinyoung cleared his throat softly, eyes moving away from Jackson and continuing on through the room carefully. “Hello, everyone. It was great to be able to speak to you guys, but unfortunately not everyone will be able to stay. This is moving much quicker than I wish, because it isn’t very fair to judge everyone after only one meeting, but tensions with Ilbon have gotten much too high and I must marry as soon as possible. With that said, I have a few people that I would like to stay here in the castle because I think we got along nicely.”

Jackson felt Seokjin shift next to him and he didn’t even have to look over to know that he was gripping onto Namjoon’s hand. If one of them made it in and the other didn’t that meant they wouldn’t be able to see each other for at least a little bit, and if the other managed to charm the Prince enough for marriage… they wouldn’t  _ ever _ see each other, unless allowed and most likely supervised. Jackson was nervous for the both of them.

“I’ll do this by last name order to make it easier,” Prince Jinyoung said with a small smile. “Kim Hyojong,” a small man with wavy blonde hair stood and bowed to the Prince, “Kim Jongin,” another man bowed, all the way across the room from Hyojong, black hair falling onto his handsome face. The Prince nodded at the both of them with a smile before continuing, “Kim Myungjun,” another short man bowed, this one with floppy brown hair and a huge, bright smile, “Kim Namjoon.” Beside him, Jackson heard Seokjin push out a small gasp, and he turned to look at Namjoon who was staring off at the Prince with wide eyes. The only reason Namjoon stood up and bowed was because Seokjin had to physically push him off of the couch.

The Prince smiled at Namjoon, his eyes moving over to Jackson for just a small moment before leaving and looking to Jackson’s left. “Kim Seokjin.”

Seokjin had a blinding smile on his face as he stood beside Namjoon and bowed lowly, looking blindingly handsome when he stood back up, eyes bright as they turned to glance at Namjoon who was smiling just as brightly.

“Ko Shinwon,” the Prince continued, unaware of Jackson’s inner turmoil. A tall guy stood and bowed, hair perfectly styled and outfit pressed nicely to his body. “Lee Hwitaek,” Hwitaek, who was leaned against one of the pristine walls, stepped forward and bowed.

The Prince’s eyes turned back to Jackson- no, not Jackson, beside him, to his right this time. “Lee Taemin,” Prince Jinyoung said softly, watching as a  _ very _ handsome man bowed nearly 90 degrees. “Oh Sehun,” someone on the other side of the room bowed, a small smile showing on his lips.

Jackson felt his nerves wrap around his stomach, flipping it around and making Jackson ache. The Prince opened his mouth again, and it was like a weight had been lifted off of Jackson’s shoulders when the Prince made eye contact with him. “Wang Jackson.”

Jackson stood clumsily, limbs like jello and barely carrying his body weight. He bowed quickly, standing up and nearly falling back into the chair when he saw Prince Jinyoung laugh at Jackson’s antics. Seokjin wrapped an arm around Jackson’s shoulder for balance, smiling brightly at Jackson.

“That’s everyone,” The Prince said, turning his eyes away from Jackson. “I’m sorry if you have to leave, but again, I unfortunately can’t pick all of you. If I did say  your name, though, please stay in here for a moment. If not, follow me.”

A crowd of people who were murmerring softly to each other, most of them looking disappointed but not overly upset.

Jackson felt arms wrap around him and blindly hugged Seokjin back, feeling a hand land on his shoulder as he looked up at Namjoon.

“We’re all here together,” Seokjin said into Jackson’s shoulder where he’d planted his face. “This is good. We don’t have to be alone in this.”

Jackson squeezed Seokjin’s arm tightly, feeling a smile split his face. “Of course not. Until the Prince sends us home, of course.”

Seokjin pulled away from the hug, far enough to show Jackson his overly dramatic eye roll. “We’ll still come visit you if that happens. We’re not just your friends today, or however long we stay here.”

Namjoon nodded. “For sure. You’re a pretty great guy, Jackson, and I like you. Anyways, we definitely need someone to keep the peace.”

Jackson giggled softly, a small smile painting his lips now that the nerves he’d felt subsided to a small buzz. “I doubt I’ll be able to help out with  _ that _ . I have no idea how the two of you haven’t killed each other yet.”

“Just some strong determination to keep my best friend alive,” Seokjin replied. “Also I love him, so there’s that.”

Jackson watched Namjoon’s ears burn red in the corner of his eye but didn’t comment on it. It wasn’t Jackson’s place to talk about Namjoon’s obvious crush on Seokjin- no matter how good of friends they assured him the three of them were.

“Let’s sit while we wait for our rooms. I hope we all get one together,” Seokjin said with a smile, grabbing Namjoon’s hand in his own and linking an arm with Jackson tugging them to sit. “While we wait maybe I can teach you two the ways of life. If you think you’re ready and mentally capable.”

Namjoon rolled his eyes, leaning forward to speak to Jackson. “When he says ‘the way of life’ he means he wants to play the Pan Game. Can you even play it with three people?”

“Of course you can,” Seokjin replied, brushing away a strand of black hair that had fallen into his dark brown eyes. “I can do what I want. Now let's play, I'm ready to kick some ass."

Jackson scoffed, getting excited and leaning forward. "Beat me if you can, loser."

  
  
Park Jinyoung sat carefully on one of the dark leather couches in his room, socked feet crossed beneath him as he watched one of his closest friends talk to him. 

“This decision can’t be out of love,” Jaebeom said, his voice gentle but the words still harsh to Jinyoung’s ears. “It has to be somewhat of a business decision. You need to choose for the good of Malgeun, and nothing else.”

“You got to choose Youngjae, though,” Jinyoung argued. “You fell in love with Youngjae and chose him. Just as Yugyeom chose Kunpimook, and continues to choose him everyday. Why must I be the one who isn’t allowed to find love?”

Jaebeom sighed, leaning back and allowing his head full of silver hair to bounce back on the squishy couch. He reached for his cup of water that was settled on the wooden table between him and Jinyoung, feeling the cool condensation beneath the tips of his fingers as he watched Jinyoung run his hands through the already-messy golden mop on his head as if it would release his pent up irritation. “Jinyoung, you know I’m right. To be King means you must make sacrifices. At least you get options of people who are of the gender you prefer.”

“I don’t give a damn that they’re men,” Jinyoung said, his voice raising slightly. “I just want to fall in love. It’s fucking bullshit that I can’t. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life with someone I can’t stand or someone who’s just here because I’m the soon to be king.”

Jaebeom leaned forward in the couch, making eye contact with Jinyoung to get his point across easier. “You’ve already met the men you chose, so you must have felt some sort of spark. One of them will be stronger than the others mentally, and that’s who you need to choose. You’re frustrated right now, but tomorrow you will see that this is easier. If it helps, I quite liked that one guy with the white shirt. Maybe a bit nervous and crazy but… overall nice.”

“I liked him too,” Jinyoung replied. “Come eat breakfast with all of us in the morning. I set it for 9am because I know you and Youngjae like sleeping in, if you know what I mean.”

Jaebeom’s ears went red at Jinyoung’s wink and he stood up from the couch quickly, silver hair falling into his face and touching the top of his pink cheeks. “Oh no, look at the time, I must go. It was terrible speaking to you, I hope I never have to do it again. I hope you choke in your sleep.” 

Jinyoung laughed, his heart becoming lighter at the teasing from his best friend. “If you ask nicely I just might choke in my sleep. Tell Youngjae I hope he sleeps well, I made sure to get you two one of the nicer rooms with a fluffier mattress. I know that you’re starting to get old and you have a bad back, so when you two have-”

The end of Jinyoung’s sentence was cut short by his bedroom door being closed, Jaebeom’s voice filtering through the thick wood as he replied “I’m not telling him that, dickhead.”

Jinyoung shook his head with a large smile, leaning back against his couch and stretching out his feet, letting them brush against the fluffy white carpet on his floor.

“Sometimes I wonder how he’s still Prince of Gonggi with that potty mouth of his.”

Jinyoung looked up at the new voice, startled because he had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t heard his door opening again. He smiled when he saw Yixing leaning against his door frame, arms crossed over his chest and a small smile stretched on his face. Despite being nearly fifteen years older than Jinyoung, Yixing still looked amazingly young and didn’t show his age at all- which was nearly a power in its own.

“Me neither,” Jinyoung replied. “He’s also quite the dumbass and I would never trust him with an entire country, but I don’t make the rules.”

Yixing uncrossed his arms, stepping out of his shoes in an act of politeness before padding over to the couch Jaebeom had just left. Yixing sat with better posture, unlike Jaebeom who had acted like he would in his own room.

Jinyoung sat forward, his back straight, concern washing over him. He noticed that Yixing’s dark eyes were troubled and that the smile he held looked likely to crack any second. “What is it, Yixing?”

The healer brushed his long, tan fingers through his dark hair, the strands all falling back to where they had just been in an act of defiance. “Wang Jackson. I know him, Prince Jinyoung.”

“Well yes, of course, you just met him,” Jinyoung replied, not seeing what was bothering Yixing so much. “Do you mean you’ve met him before?”

Yixing nodded, his bottom lip coming into his mouth as he gnawed on it, looking up at Jinyoung. “When I was younger I had gone into the city for some fresh bread. There was a specific shop I had heard of, but it was very far out in the city, nearly reaching some of the poor villages. As I was leaving, someone touched my shoulder and said he recognized the symbol on my jacket. He needed a doctor because his son had eaten some of a sunflower.”

Jinyoung felt a frown paint his lips. Jackson had said something about his parents not allowing him to go out very far and touch the sunflowers out by the back of his home. Had Jinyoung been the reason that Jackson’s parents refused to let him touch Malgeun’s native plant- one that Jinyoung created from his own hands?

“So I went and I saved Jackson. He was young, seven, I think, and his body was healthy. Maybe a little malnourished, but that was to be expected considering how poor his village was. He was bright and charismatic, just as I assume him to be now.”

Jinyoung nodded with a small smile, thinking about how much Jackson had caused him to laugh. “Yes, he’s one of the brightest people I’ve met. I just… I was the reason he almost died, right? It was me that caused it?”

Yixing shook his head. “No, Prince Jinyoung. You have to stop blaming yourself. These things happen. No one has died and no one will die, and not by the cause of your hands. Your flowers are a gift, Prince Jinyoung. They are beautiful and they are what make Malgeun what it is. I just told you because I think we need to keep an eye on him. I don’t know what the flower may have done to him because Jackson is human and their bodies are naturally weaker than ours.”

Jinyoung nodded. “I was planning on keeping an eye on him anyways. He’s amazing, Yixing. I just hope that he doesn’t hate me for this.”

Yixing reached out his hands for Jinyoung, his palms open and a warm smile on his face. Jinyoung set his hands into Yixing’s waiting palms. “No one could ever hate you, Park Jinyoung.”

Even through Yixing’s kind words and reassurances, Jinyoung felt his heart break a little bit at the idea of hurting Jackson and dulling that beautiful glow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will jinyoung ever get a break: probably not
> 
> ok a whole lot has happened recently but first and foremost let us all celebrate bts winning an award at the bbmas!!! i know this is a got7 fic but i think we can all be proud of how far they've come & the name they're creating for themselves and kpop as a whole. 
> 
> also,,,, my orchestra got invited to play in new york next year??? this is wild as heLL i can't be l i e v e   
> let's hope i don't get eaten by some giant rat in the subway or something heheheh
> 
> kudos & comments are welcome!!
> 
> i'm on twitter @hhobihugs if u ever wanna chat with me! 
> 
> adios my dudes  
> -tori <33


	6. chapter five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> introductions to the king and queen of malgeun ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg i'm alive!!! 
> 
> i've missed you guys so much and it was really hard to be without writing for so long :( i want to say everything is back and intact but,,,, this chapter is literally the definition of filler i'm so sorry sweeties. it's setting up next chapter nicely, though, and i'm so excited it'll be amazing!!
> 
> happy reading loves <333 
> 
> p.s. this is an unedited mess so if you find any mistakes just remember that i love u and im trying my bestest

The castle’s dining room looked just as Jackson had expected. Even though they were told it was the “informal dining room” the chandeliers that dangled from the high ceiling still sparkled and glittered like stars, the table was still large enough to hold at least 100 guests and made of thick wood that must’ve been more expensive than Jackson’s entire home and everything in it, including Jackson himself. There was one thing Jackson hadn’t quite expected and that was the sunflowers. Of course he figured there would be some, seeing as the “flower powers”, as Seokjin had so cleverly dubbed them, ran through the Park family like a mutant blood stream; the flowers were everywhere, growing around the room like trophies, reaching nearly up to the star-like chandeliers. Jackson had always lived right next to a forest, but he’d never had one in his dining room. 

Jackson had stopped short upon seeing the room, his eyes traveling along the large space quickly, trying to memorize the beautiful room so he could gush about it to his parents when he was sent back home. Jackson didn’t even notice that his mouth was hanging wide open until Seokjin reached down to shut it before pushing Jackson further into the dining room instead of blocking the double doors. 

“Have you never seen a dining room before?” Namjoon asked playfully, nudging his shoulder against Jackson’s. Despite the teasing, Jackson could see Namjoon’s dark eyes sparkling with awe as he looked around the perimeter of the room at the beautiful flowers that inched up the walls. 

Jackson chuckled, shaking his head. “My dining room was literally a quarter of a quarter of a quarter of this room which is then divided by seven. I don’t think my house is even as big as this room, Joon. I feel like I’m in another world.”

“Don’t lie, Jacks, that’s just because of my charmingly good looks,” Seokjin said, butting into their conversation and throwing his arm around Jackson and Namjoon’s shoulders, pulling them to three seats at the dining table. 

Most of the other people were there, a few of them conversing- likely people who knew each other from home, or who had met last night because they were in a new place and alone and maybe needed someone to talk to- and others were still looking half-asleep, eyes blinking slowly at the table in front of them. 

Jackson sat himself between Seokjin and the boy with wavy blonde hair, who was talking to someone seated across from him animatedly, both of them seemingly happy just conversing with each other. Instead of interrupting the two of them, Jackson turned to Seokjin, only to see him whispering with Namjoon about something, their heads leaned in together. It kind of sucked for Jackson that the two of them were so close because every once in a while he felt left out, as if they didn’t care much about him, but he knew that the two of them likely didn’t realize what they were doing. 

Jackson looked down at the shining plate and glistening silverware set out in front of him, a small pout tugging at his lips. 

“Need a friend?”

Jackson looked up quickly at the unknown voice, noticing that someone had sat in front of him without Jackson even noticing. “Oh- yeah, sure. I’m Jackson.”

The guy smiled, his eyes getting small and almost disappearing at the action. He was handsome, dark hair and tan skin to match his honey eyes. “Nice to meet you, Jackson. I’m Shinwon. What do you think of the castle so far?”

“I don’t even know where to start on that,” Jackson said with a small giggle. “It’s huge! And the sunflowers are everywhere. They’re really beautiful, though!”

Shinwon nodded with a bright smile, leaning forward so he could speak with Jackson easily. “I know! I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many flowers in my life. Everything here is just so perfect. It’s like another world.”

Jackson had thought the exact thing when he’d showed up to the castle. The grass was  _ so  _ soft, even with shoes on, and the colors were so bright, everything turned up a notch and practically radiating different shades. It had been nearly a 360 turn from what Jackson had grown up with; in his village, it all seemed muted, like a speaker hidden beneath a blanket. The houses at home were brown, the grass was various shades of brown- a very sad hunter green, if they were lucky- the dirt that clung beneath Jackson’s fingernails was brown. Jackson had only seen colors so vivid when he’d went into the forest outside of his house, the thick trees soaked in green paint, flowers with sponged on purple and pink ink. “It really is. Honestly I’m afraid to touch half of the stuff in my room because I’m scared to break something.”

“I feel that,” Shinwon replied. “I’m worried that when I break something- and believe me, I’m  _ bound  _ to break something- they’ll make me pay for it.”

Jackson giggled, “I doubt you’d have to. Rich people tend to not care about that sort of thing. Also, you’re a guest, so they wouldn’t do anything crazy like that.”

“That actually makes a lot of sense,” Shinwon said, a grin tugging at his lips. “I like the way you think, Jackson. No wonder the prince kept you back there for so long.”

Jackson’s mouth widened at the comment, a red blush climbing into his cheeks and making home there. If Namjoon, Seokjin  _ and  _ Shinwon noticed that Jackson had been with Prince Jinyoung for a long time, it was likely that everyone else had noticed too. “Oh- actually, someone came in while I was back there to talk to Prince Jinyoung, so it was probably just because of that.” 

Shinwon smiled brightly at Jackson, his dark brown eyes shining with little shards of glitter. “If that’s what you want to go with, then sure. That guest must’ve talked for quite a while, though, that’s all I’m going to say.”

Normally Jackson might’ve argued a bit more, because he tended to hate not getting the last word, but this time he knew Shinwon was right- the Prince had kept Jackson in there longer than he did anyone else- and there was no use in arguing a moot point. 

Jackson nearly jumped from his skin when he heard the doors to the dining room open. They hadn’t been waiting for long, but Jackson had began to get impatient waiting for the Prince to show up. Jackson could smell the food that was being made but the boys weren’t allowed to eat without Prince Jinyoung, of course, and his stomach was beginning to rumble like thunder. Instead of the Prince pushing through the doors, though, instead there were servants bustling in with carts being wheeled alongside them. Jackson assumed the carts were weighed down with what would come to be his breakfast, and his mouth began watering at the heavenly smell floating through the dining room. 

“It smells good,” Shinwon commented from in front of Jackson, his hands already moving to grip the shiny metal chopsticks set in front of him, “reminds me of being back at home.”

Jackson discreetly sniffed the air, fingers absentmindedly playing with the hem of his shirt as he felt hunger claw at his stomach persistently. “It smells fancy,” Jackson decided. “I’m used to having basic kimchi and rice dishes for breakfast, but on special occasions we tended to have nice meals like this is bound to be.”

“You’ve been missing out, then,” Shinwon informed. “There’s probably some soups, as well as kimchi and rice like you’re used to, and maybe eggs. It’s our first actual day here, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they treated us to a large meal.”

As the dishes were laid out on the table, Jackson began feeling slightly anxious for the arrival of Prince Jinyoung. Would the King and Queen be there as well? Did the boys have to impress the  _ entire  _ royal family? 

Jackson didn’t have to wonder for very long, the echoing sound of multiple heels clicking against the stone floors and becoming almost deafening in the slowly-quieting dining room. 

“Sounds like the King and Queen are joining us,” Shinwon whispered excitedly, his fingers tugging at the cloth settled in front of him, the motion pulling the silverware from Jackson’s side of the table forward and further away from him.

Jackson smacked away Shinwon’s tugging fingers, his right leg bouncing in a show of nerves. “Stop that, you pest. I don’t see how you’re not nervous at all.”

“You should be the one who’s not nervous,” Shinwon pointed out, sitting up in his seat and straightening out his back as the footsteps drew closer. “You’re the one who the Prince has his eyes on, Jackson.”

Jackson’s heart pounded in his chest, the drumbeat likely loud enough for the entire room- if not the entire castle- to hear. His stomach was fluttering with something as silly and trivial as  _ butterflies,  _ of all things, his veins thrumming with the excess energy the rapid beat of his heart was creating. There was no way in hell Jackson had managed to spark the Prince’s interests in their ten-minute-meeting, and yet everyone seemed positive that’s exactly what had occured while the two had been seated together. 

Prince Jinyoung seemed nearly radiant after a good night’s rest, Jackson noted. His hair looked as if each strand had been laced with pure gold, the perfectly placed mop on Jinyoung’s head shining nicely under the bright lights. His skin was almost glowing, his tan cheeks bright and his eyes crinkled with a small smile. The Prince almost knocked the breath out of Jackson as he stepped into the dining room, hands behind his back and his parents on each side of him. They were an almost unfairly attractive family, Prince Jinyoung getting the hair from the Queen, who had her hair flowing like a  waterfall of gold down her shoulders and back, and his tan skin from the King, who was shining just as brightly under the lights as Prince Jinyoung was. 

“Ah, it seems as if we’ve kept everyone waiting,” the Queen said with a gentle smile, her eyes moving through the crowd of men sat at their large table. “I apologize for that, King Park didn’t want to wake up this morning.”

Jackson giggled, as did the boys around him, his eyes moving over to the Prince to find Jinyoung”s eyes already locked onto him. Heat stole its way into Jackson’s cheeks, Jackson’s smile promptly dropping, his eyes moving to the food set in front of them, beyond interested in the way that the light gleamed off of his perfect plate and perfect silverware. Why did his heart have to race and his fingers have to tremble and his blood have to sing. Why did the Prince have such an influence over Jackson?

“Stop telling everyone my secrets,” The King said, although his voice was playful and Jackson could sense a smile playing on his face, although he wouldn’t look up to check and see. Jackson didn’t know if he’d ever look up from his plate  _ ever  _ again. “It is nice to meet everyone. I’m glad I woke up this morning. If you all wouldn’t mind introducing yourselves, please.” 

Naturally, the introductions began at the start of the table, where the open doors to the dining room stood open, the Prince and his parents looking regal against the dark wood. 

The first to stand up was a handsome man that was seated closest to where the King was standing, on the opposite side of the table, only three people away from where Jackson sat. There was something about the way the man held himself that made Jackson slightly envious of him. 

“I’m Kim Jongin. I live in the city, near the food markets. It’s an honor to be able to speak to you,” he says, finishing of his introduction with an almost cocky smile and a bow to each of the royals in turn, hands clasped neatly behind his back. He was rich, which was likely why his shoulders were held so high that it made Jongin seem much taller than he actually was, his body not bowed under the stress of fending for himself. Although, Jackson had to admit, even living poor he hadn’t had the worst life- not even close. 

It continued on like this, the man in front of Jongin standing to introduce himself as Lee Taemin, him being just as handsome as Jongin if not more, his features delicate like a soft cherry blossom. Beside Jongin was Oh Sehun, who was kinda lanky and awkward looking, but with a pretty smile and kind eyes. Then it was Namjoon’s turn, Jackson smiling up at his friend despite the slight ache of being left out, Jackson still wanting Namjoon to do well and be accepted into the castle with open arms. 

Namjoon stood carefully, his hands squeezed into tight fists at his back, the knuckles nearly white with how hard he was clenching his fingers between each other. “Hello, I’m Kim Namjoon. I live near the sunflower fields, where the Prince goes to visit nearly once or twice a month.” Prince Jinyoung smiles with a fond nod, his eyes glittering at the memory of being allowed to watch the flowers-  _ his  _ flowers grow tall and proud. “Thank you for having me here.” 

In front of Seokjin a man stood, a huge smile plastered onto his face, tan skin glowing under the bright lights that dangled above them. “I’m Kim Myungjun. I live close to the border of Bioneun, towards the west.” It seemed like his smile wouldn’t drop, and a smile damn near stole its way onto Jackson’s face. Some people just radiated happiness, and Myungjun was one of those people, apparently. 

Seokjin was next, calmly standing and greeting his King and Queen, as well as his Prince, barely blinking an eye. He explained that he lived very near to Namjoon, close enough to the sunflower fields to smell them nearly 24/7. 

Shinwon nearly knocked over the entire table standing in a haste, laughing at himself and shaking his head. “Great first impression,” he said to himself, making the entire room bubble up with laughter. Jackson had just noticed that this part tended to be awkward, everyone realizing that the people seated beside them or in front of them or diagonal from them were their competition. “I’m Go Shinwon. I live just outside of the city, but I’m close enough to know that Prince Jinyoung enjoys going on rides to the public library, for some reason” That pulled another laugh from the room, and Jackson couldn’t help but giggle. Shinwon wasn’t even trying to be funny- he was just the perfect amount of stupid to be  _ hilarious.  _

Jackson watched Shinwon sit and realized  _ fuck,  _ it was his turn. Jackson told himself to nut up or shut up, because the Prince already showed interest in him, and he wasn’t a wussy. This was Real Life, and Jackson would act like it. 

Jackson stood, his hands clenched into fists at his side to keep them from shaking. He almost didn’t want to look up and meet the Prince’s eyes, afraid to turn into a stuttering, blushing mess. Jackson took a deep breath and smiled his most charming smile, lifting his eyes to the King, Queen, and Prince, all stood before him. He bowed a little, remembering the way Prince Jinyoung despised the formality, the memory drenched in an embarrassingly large amount of fondness. “I’m Jackson Wang. I live in the villages near Gonggi, by the forests. I am beyond honored to be here.”

Jackson pretended not to notice the way Prince Jinyoung grinned at him with a smile that was laced with pride. 

King Park’s eyes widened. “Near Gonggi? That’s quite far out. The forests out there are quite remarkable, though, absolutely drenched in colors.”

Jackson nodded proudly, feeling a little less self conscious of his roots. “Yes, I don’t think I’ve seen that many colors before. It can get a bit… warm, to say the least.”

The Queen laughed, “Warm? It’s terrible, especially with the added greenery. I haven’t been to see those forests much, so you’ll have to tell me about them some time.”

Queen Park was probably just throwing out that out as a suggestion, but who would Jackson be to tell her no? “Of course, I would love to.”

Prince Jinyoung said nothing, and Jackson had to pretend to not be disappointed as he dug into the beautiful meal that had been made for him. 

**Author's Note:**

> damn who knew that sunflowers were so dangerouS
> 
> here's to me hoping this story doesn't flop *clinks glass* 
> 
> anyways, i have a few chapters already written out so updates should be fairly quick :) (until i run out of drafts haha)
> 
> kudos & comments are highly appreciated!!
> 
> -find me on twitter @hhobihugs <3
> 
> love,  
> tori :')


End file.
